How to build a positive classroom in the first 5 days of school
There’s a wise quote that says, “Kids don’t care about your expectations until they know you care about them. Connection is the foundation everything else stands on.”
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The grading paradox: Better data is key to understanding real subject mastery
There’s a confusing trend going on in the nation’s classrooms: While national test scores have dropped to levels not seen in decades, average high school GPAs are actually…
In a school emergency, 911 is still flying blind
School safety emergencies are inherently chaotic, frightening, and made even more perilous by a lack of real-time visibility once an emergency is underway. In an active shooter incident,…
Does school design help or hinder adolescent learning?
Adolescence is one of the most consequential periods of human development, yet the environments designed to support it often fail to reflect its complexity. Spanning ages 10 to…
First graders need a chance to explain their math thinking
In first grade, educators shape the trajectories of how students feel about math. Long before they discover algebra or standardized tests, six- and seven-year-olds are forming beliefs about…
Don’t forget nature’s classroom
Outdoor education has been shown to improve academic outcomes across subjects, including science, reading, and math, while also strengthening motivation, well-being, and school engagement. Studies also link outdoor…
Digital detox: Reducing screen time creates space to build literacy skills
Walk into almost any elementary classroom today and you will likely hear the same concern from teachers across grade levels: Many students can swipe, tap, and navigate a…
Teacher training needs more community and less compliance
Professional development is one of a school district's most powerful strategies for improving student outcomes. Yet, educators often leave workshops feeling inspired in the moment, but take little…
A second language is more than an elective—it’s a workforce skill
When I taught Spanish, students would often ask, “Why do I need to learn this?” Many thought that learning a new language would only be useful if they…
Lead with purpose: 3 ways courageous K-12 leadership builds real impact
As the Director of Maintenance and Operations for 42 campuses across our district, my work is never small. From managing facilities and construction to navigating procurement and public…
5 ways to rest, reflect, and recharge this summer
Summer break has finally arrived, and if you're like most educators, you're probably feeling a lot of conflicting emotions. There's relief that the school year is behind you,…
The hidden curriculum gap
A post-graduation readiness report by YouScience found that the majority of graduating high school seniors lack confidence in their post-graduation plans, including choosing a college, paying for it,…
Teacher burnout is at an all-time high
Teacher stress declined modestly in 2026, but teachers were still far more likely than similar working adults to report higher stress, worse well-being and greater financial strain, extending a…
New generational reading, math scores have bright spots, but there’s still work to do
Ameer Baraka knew something was wrong long before anyone gave it a name. Ameer grew up in poverty in Louisiana and had difficulty learning to read, but no…
6 keys to building a high-impact summer reading program
In 2023, Bob Bolduc, the founder of Hope for Youth and Families, identified a gap in our student’s reading success here in Springfield, Massachusetts. He sought to identify…
With students tuning out, it’s time to rethink the classroom
Across classrooms right now, many educators are noticing the same shift: Students are even harder to reach than they were just a short time ago. In a recent…
Leading in the in-between: A multi-track approach to leadership growth
There is a period in the school leadership journey that we do not talk about enough: the time between earning an administrative license and actually becoming a school…
Will schools answer the Canvas breach’s wake-up call?
The recent Instructure/Canvas breach should be a wake-up call for every school and university relying on third-party platforms to power teaching and learning.
This district’s STEM “space station” is a growing YouTube hit
A fictional space station orbiting the moon is turning into a real-world digital success story. Spacegate Station, a STEM series created in 2022 by Duval County Public School…
Finding the “low way”: Reclaiming creativity in schools
When my daughter was little, every time we climbed into the car, she’d look up and ask, “Are we going to take the low way?”
Demonstrating impact with data: How librarians can make the case for increased funding
Libraries are more than a quiet corner of school where students can pick up a book now and then--they are vibrant learning environments that support classroom curriculum, spark…
How comprehensive school safety planning protected our teachers and students
When people outside of education talk about comprehensive school safety planning, it can sometimes sound theoretical: a checklist of protocols or a compliance exercise.
Building a better bridge: Prioritizing infrastructure in a pre-K expansion
New York is currently standing at a historic crossroads. With a rare alignment of executive leadership in Albany and NYC and a tireless advocacy community, the state is…
In a new survey, AI scores high as a math learning tool
AI plays a supportive educational role for nearly 70 percent of top-performing math students asked about their study habits, according to a new survey.
Why so many students struggle in math before learning even begins
In mathematics education, we have long relied on a familiar sequence: introduce vocabulary, demonstrate procedures, and assign practice. For some students, this works well enough.
When AI means something different in every classroom
In many schools, AI is being handled through individual teacher decisions rather than a shared structure. That makes sense in the short term. Teachers are responding in real…
What it takes to build teacher confidence in math: 4 lessons for district leaders
After 20 years teaching high school math, I thought I understood why students struggled. Then I sat in my first professional learning session focused on early math and…
The hidden cost of fragmented student data in K–12 schools
In many K–12 schools today, fragmented student data has quietly become one of the most significant barriers to effective decision-making and day-to-day operations. While digital tools have expanded…
The 4 keys to creating meaningful student-led inquiry
Does the thought of student-led inquiry make you nervous? For some teachers, handing over control of the classroom to their students sounds like an invitation for disaster.
When AI does the work, who does the learning?
AI is rapidly reshaping education, but not always in ways that support learning. A growing number of AI tools promise to “help” students by doing assignments, writing papers,…
5 ways to make reading click for teens
Reading is competing for attention in a world built for scrolling. A recent University of Florida study found that the share of Americans who read for pleasure on…
Why students disengage before they fall behind
I once met a student who had attended three different schools before arriving at mine. His parents described him in familiar terms: quiet, disengaged, unmotivated.
A new need-to-know for the AI classroom
Most project-based learning workshops are built around three domains: design, assessment, and implementation.
It’s time to rewrite math standards for the future–and to stop expecting AI to do it for us
While nearly every industry is racing to integrate artificial intelligence, most schools are still teaching high school math the way it’s been done for decades--rooted in instructional material…
Career readiness starts with a critical, undertaught skill: Decision Education
In other words, while technology can generate information and automate tasks, people still need to evaluate options, weigh tradeoffs, and determine what to do next. These are decision-making…
Sustainable change starts with educator voice
School leaders everywhere are working to implement change--new initiatives, new instructional frameworks, new technologies, new approaches to student support.
Building AI for kids: A developer’s guide to age-appropriate safety architecture
When I shipped Gramms AI to the App Store, I ran straight into a question that every developer building for kids will eventually face: What does “age-appropriate” actually…
Taking a deeper look at students’ well-being
The dominant narrative around today’s students is bleak: declining test scores, post-pandemic learning loss, and widespread concerns about student behavior and mental health.
Why digital resilience is critical for U.S. K-12 schools
While prevention remains essential, 2025 has reinforced a hard lesson for district leaders: it’s not a question of if a cyber incident will occur, but how prepared a…
Boosting student engagement on World Math Day
If you’re feeling a bit sluggish (rightly so), most likely your students are. It may not feel like they are the prime audience for learning about multiplication, division,…